Aurukun

January to June was a challenging time for Aurukun. There were repeated bouts of unrest, which led to community members staying in their homes and also saw the O-Hub, Cape York Employment (CYE) and other services closing for short periods due to safety concerns. Sorry Business also greatly impacted Aurukun, with the community experiencing numerous periods of mourning for the passing of loved ones. Significant policy changes to the Community Development Program (CDP), which makes participation in activities voluntary, and continued concerns about COVID-19, also had an impact. Despite all of these, the resilience of community members shone through and there were a number of wins during the period.

As part of its holistic case management approach, the O-Hub collaborates with other service providers to ensure the needs of community members are met. One of these pivotal partnerships is with the Family Responsibilities Commission (FRC), with extensive support provided to clients who were referred for money management support. Support was also provided to those clients on income management who transitioned from the BasicsCard to the new Cashless Debit Card. In May, the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, visited Aurukun to discuss the community’s experience with the transition. After speaking with O-Hub staff, FRC Commissioners and FRC clients, Senator Ruston commented: “The FRC and the O-Hub are great examples of communities supporting communities. Great to hear about how they are striving to create better opportunities for their people.” Later in the same month, with support from Pama Futures and the Australian Government, more than a dozen Wik family and community leaders came together in Cairns to learn about the progress that other communities are making with the design and build of their Local Partnership Structures and to discuss their future vision for Aurukun.

Families are committed to supporting their children’s education—Aurukun has the highest collective Student Education Trust (SET) account balance amongst all SET locations, with $608,794 available to be spent on educational needs. In January, O-Hub staff participated in the ‘Start Back at School Day’, where they held a pop-up stall at the school for parents to utilise SET funds to purchase school uniforms and stationery. A significant moment for the community came when Baressa Fraser was appointed as the new Principal of Koolkan Aurukun State School. In June, Wik dancers from the Apalech and Puutch clans performed Malp to celebrate Principal Fraser’s return to community, as she becomes the first Wik Principal at the local school.

Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston visited Aurukun to discuss the experiences of FRC clients who transitioned from the BasicsCard to the Cashless Debit Card.

Despite the ongoing challenges, Aurukun community members are eager to pursue available opportunities. In February, the Pama Platform had its first launch in Aurukun. It was the highest-attending launch across all four launch sites, with more than 100 community members and stakeholders attending, eager to learn about the opportunities available from this new web-based application. The launch was a great success, with more than 30 community members signing up on the day and many more in the following months as word spread about the benefits of the Platform. Demand for MPower also continued to increase with a further 19 new members signing up since January. It is encouraging to see that the service is generating more interest in money matters amongst younger community members—with 84 per cent of the new members aged under 25 years old. In March, community members availed of the opportunity to apply for driver licences and Blue Cards—key employment enablers—as part of the joint government agency servicing visit hosted by CYE.

Another highlight during the period was the Troy CassarDaley concert, which was hosted by Aurukun Shire Council in June. It was a big community event with more than 250 people attending the local Community Centre to dance along to the smooth songs. Other events included celebrations for Girls Sports Day, the Reconciliation BBQ hosted by PCYC, and Easter celebrations that saw O-Hub staff collaborate with the Police and Ma’aathan Women’s Shelter to create Easter baskets for local children.

Throughout the rest of 2021 and beyond, we will continue to support community members to achieve their goals and lead healthier, safer and more empowered lives.